Engineering salary increases

[purbeast0]

I have an idea. How about quit being so obsessed with money and instead, figure out what makes you happy and go that route? I've seen several of these posts from you and they're always about money. Good lord, get some perspective. Put in your time, gain valuable knowledge and experience, take advantage of all training, and THEN think about moving on. I mean, you also picked power engineering -- did you seriously think that was one of the more lucrative areas in EE?

Also, where do you live? $80K in the midwest is like 6 figures elsewhere due to the cost of living. Also, as someone else mentioned, I think the median US HOUSEHOLD income is like $45K.

well having more money can help you buy and do things that make you happy, that you couldn't do with less money.

 

[SeductivePig]

I have an idea. How about quit being so obsessed with money and instead, figure out what makes you happy and go that route? I've seen several of these posts from you and they're always about money. Good lord, get some perspective. Put in your time, gain valuable knowledge and experience, take advantage of all training, and THEN think about moving on. I mean, you also picked power engineering -- did you seriously think that was one of the more lucrative areas in EE?

Also, where do you live? $80K in the midwest is like 6 figures elsewhere due to the cost of living. Also, as someone else mentioned, I think the median US HOUSEHOLD income is like $45K.

Lol.. I put in 60 hrs a week. Money is an issue bc I have 6 figure student loan debt. Comparing to a median number is irrelevant. If I wanted to compare myself to someone making 45k in their 40's I wouldnt have gone to college. I'm in Chicago.

So you're telling me there's no money in power engineering despite the increasing importance of energy?

 

[IndyColtsFan]

well having more money can help you buy and do things that make you happy, that you couldn't do with less money.

Yes, but this guy seems obsessed with it and nearly every post I see from him is about it. If he is making $60K in Silicon Valley, then yes, that's probably not good. If he is making $60K in backwoods Indiana though, he is making out very well. I guess when you get to my age (42), money isn't as important anymore.

 

[SeductivePig]

no health benefits at all? phone bill is chump change compared to health benefits...

if you're in a place like that, stick it out for a year or so and "get that experience" then ah heck out of there and find a new job. unless you're getting a substantial learning experience, you're not going to get paid fairly.

Well I'm covered under my dad until 26 but they do offer standard health insurance

Im so concerned about money because I know EE degrees are higly valued and at my age I'm willing to put in as much time as needed to set myself up for a prosperous future. If I want to change careers now is the time instead of when I'm married with kids.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Lol.. I put in 60 hrs a week. Money is an issue bc I have 6 figure student loan debt. Comparing to a median number is irrelevant. If I wanted to compare myself to someone making 45k in their 40's I wouldnt have gone to college. I'm in Chicago.

You knew (or should've known) what the market was like for power engineering when you came out of school and should've known the approximate starting salaries. Furthermore, you knew how much debt you were going to have and with your GPA, knew you wouldn't have your choice of positions out of school. Are those accurate statements?

So you're telling me there's no money in power engineering despite the increasing importance of energy?

Please tell me where I said that. What I did say was that power engineering was not the most lucrative field in EE.

Maybe my perception is wrong, but it seems like every time you post, it is whining about your salary and asking how to increase it. Guess what? There is no easy answer. You first need to get experience and take advantage of all training opportunities and then think about moving on. That's all you can do and it seems this advice has been given before.

 

[purbeast0]

Yes, but this guy seems obsessed with it and nearly every post I see from him is about it. If he is making $60K in Silicon Valley, then yes, that's probably not good. If he is making $60K in backwoods Indiana though, he is making out very well. I guess when you get to my age (42), money isn't as important anymore.

nothing wrong at all with having monetary goals. it can keep you motivated.

i remember when i graduated at the age of 22 i had a goal of a salary i wanted to be making by the time i was 30.

when i was at the same company for 5 years out of school and was 27, i realized that i wasn't going to be even close to that staying at that job, so i decided to start looking for a new gig.

literally 2 months before i turned 30 i hit that goal, and it's climbed up quite a bit since then. i turned 31 last week.

having more money can make life a lot happier and more fun.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

having more money can make life a lot happier and more fun.

It can, but oftentimes, more money means more stress and more time at work so you have to balance it out. That (and the benefits) are the main reason I haven't moved on to another company yet. Yes, I could make much more consulting but no, I can't beat the benefits here and it is generally a pretty relaxed environment. Laziness on my part? Perhaps, but the job is also very secure and in this economy, that also counts for quite a bit.

At his age, he has a decision to make -- continue with power engineering or something else? From reading his posts, it looks like he is just chasing money when considering other positions. In one post, he says he is a terrible programmer and then in another, wants to know how to get a programming job. I mean, come on -- at the end of the day, you do have to go to work every day for decades so it should at least be tolerable.

 

[purbeast0]

It can, but oftentimes, more money means more stress and more time at work so you have to balance it out. That (and the benefits) are the main reason I haven't moved on to another company yet. Yes, I could make much more consulting but no, I can't beat the benefits here and it is generally a pretty relaxed environment. Laziness on my part? Perhaps, but the job is also very secure and in this economy, that also counts for quite a bit.

well i wouldn't know about that. i would never work at a place where you are expected to work more than 40 hours a week. that is one of the first things i ask in an interview when we get to the 'do you have any questions for us?' part of it.

benefits are huge too for me. thankfully where i work i also have great benefits

 

[Tweak155]

nothing wrong at all with having monetary goals. it can keep you motivated.

i remember when i graduated at the age of 22 i had a goal of a salary i wanted to be making by the time i was 30.

when i was at the same company for 5 years out of school and was 27, i realized that i wasn't going to be even close to that staying at that job, so i decided to start looking for a new gig.

literally 2 months before i turned 30 i hit that goal, and it's climbed up quite a bit since then. i turned 31 last week.

having more money can make life a lot happier and more fun.

It can also cause headaches.

I'm really good with money - I have no unwanted debt (highest interest rate I have right now is 2.75% and that is the house, no motivation to pay that rate off), buy anything I want, etc. Now I just put more money in the bank. No real life style changes I suppose. No real difference when I was making only $40k a year really.

Simplifying your wants and making sure you have your needs goes a long ways. In my case, I don't feel like I've had to sacrifice as by nature, I put strict values on things.

 

[Imp]

Just curious, what field are you switching to?

Right now, I'm not dead set on anything. However, I am leaning towards public policy admin and/or policy analyst. I'm with gubment and for every engineering job, there are 5 policy-related positions (exagerating, but there are more). Also, the policy positions are lower level whereas most engineering positions require tons of experience. And this way, I can still use my engineering education and experience (the technical stuff), not ditch all of it.

Money's important, but I've never been a big spender and I prefer to stick with gubment for a number of reasons. Some of them include stability, "multiculturalism" ("affirmative action" has the benefit of making the workplace less homogenous and I live in one of the most multicultural cities in the country -- I've worked private and the few companies I've been in, it's a lot more homogeneous and I don't mean just white), company goal (ideally, "for the people", not cold hard profit though there are times the gubment corruption pisses me off), and more stable hours (I like working, but not 80 hours a week no matter the pay, and I don't define myself by how much I make and my title). If I ever want to get rich, I'd make a go at my own company versus trying to kiss my ass to the top of someone else's -- considering how hard the former is, not likely.

 

[Rumpltzer]

You're less than a year into your career, and your focus right now should be about doing good work and improving yourself.

At 61K in Naperville, you're doing fine.

Six figures of student debt sounds like poor planning on your part. I went to UIUC because I couldn't afford better; made less than $10K in the summers, paid my own way, dirt poor, blah, blah, blah.

You say that comparing yourself to a median income figure is irrelevant, and I agree... so follow your own advice and stop comparing yourself to average salary increases. If you have a goal to increase your salary, then make a plan and work at it. As others have pointed out, you can switch companies and get a nice bump. I would not suggest it right now; less than a year into work... unless you're immensely unhappy where you are.

If you want to stay where you are, you can still increase your salary by increasing your value. As much as I hate to suggest it (because I don't follow this ethic), your number one goal at work should be to make you immediate supervisor(s) and their managers look good. That is the best way to improve your salary without leaving your current job.

The harder way to increase your salary is to work hard and make yourself completely indespensible!


I worked hard in school. I took my PhD. I am a badass at what I do. I walked into a six figure salary, but my first six years at work was me working my ass off and getting that average 3%.

I'm hard to manage, but technically awesome. Lots of people love me at work, but I also tend to piss off a lot of people; managers, specifically. Due to my pissing people off (while being so awesome), a project lead (that was important to me) was taken from me. I was pissed at the way it went down, so I took myself an extended vacation. I wandered around Asia for a couple of months, and my manager had one of the other engineers emailing me to ask when I'd come back. Turns out that all the shit was falling apart at work despite putting others on the job.


My salary increased ~20% in the 18 months following my vacation. I didn't even ask for that; it just happened.

Indespensible.

 

[OverVolt]

^

And when did this occur, and is the economy the same?

Anyway OPs salary/debt is brutal. Shoulda been a trucker.

 

[purbeast0]

It can also cause headaches.

I'm really good with money - I have no unwanted debt (highest interest rate I have right now is 2.75% and that is the house, no motivation to pay that rate off), buy anything I want, etc. Now I just put more money in the bank. No real life style changes I suppose. No real difference when I was making only $40k a year really.

Simplifying your wants and making sure you have your needs goes a long ways. In my case, I don't feel like I've had to sacrifice as by nature, I put strict values on things.

how is that causing headaches?

and what is the point of making more money if you aren't going to enjoy it?

i've been traveling a lot more since i started making more money, saving a lot more, bought a house and bought nice things for inside of it, bought a nice new (to me) car, etc.

i just do not understand the point of save save save if you can't even enjoy yourself. i couldn't fathom living the same way i was fresh out of college with the salary i make now. sure i'd be banking a lot of money, but for what? i'm still saving just fine right now.

 

[sze5003]

I have to save to help out my broke family. Wish I could buy nice things but I don't get to all the time. When my mom doesn't get money from father for brother and sister due to child support and can't make rent she comes to me ..and I can't let them be in need or get kicked out of their living place.

 

[bonkers325]

Well I'm covered under my dad until 26 but they do offer standard health insurance

Im so concerned about money because I know EE degrees are higly valued and at my age I'm willing to put in as much time as needed to set myself up for a prosperous future. If I want to change careers now is the time instead of when I'm married with kids.

No degree is highly valued. It's the person holding the degree that is highly valued. You sound motivated enough to apply yourself and make yourself stand out within the firm, so you'll probably hit your salary goals by 30. It's not unreasonable to feel that you should be earning the same compared to your peers, but when your peers are struggling to find any work, you should be glad to be working at all!

 

[bonkers325]

Right now, I'm not dead set on anything. However, I am leaning towards public policy admin and/or policy analyst. I'm with gubment and for every engineering job, there are 5 policy-related positions (exagerating, but there are more). Also, the policy positions are lower level whereas most engineering positions require tons of experience. And this way, I can still use my engineering education and experience (the technical stuff), not ditch all of it.

Money's important, but I've never been a big spender and I prefer to stick with gubment for a number of reasons. Some of them include stability, "multiculturalism" ("affirmative action" has the benefit of making the workplace less homogenous and I live in one of the most multicultural cities in the country -- I've worked private and the few companies I've been in, it's a lot more homogeneous and I don't mean just white), company goal (ideally, "for the people", not cold hard profit though there are times the gubment corruption pisses me off), and more stable hours (I like working, but not 80 hours a week no matter the pay, and I don't define myself by how much I make and my title). If I ever want to get rich, I'd make a go at my own company versus trying to kiss my ass to the top of someone else's -- considering how hard the former is, not likely.

Ever consider working for oil&gas procurement? My friend in Vancouver says he's raking it in working for some natural resources company, six figures easy.

I want a gubment job too. DOT/MTA workers are always lounging around whenever I visit their offices. I'm jelly.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

how is that causing headaches?

and what is the point of making more money if you aren't going to enjoy it?

i've been traveling a lot more since i started making more money, saving a lot more, bought a house and bought nice things for inside of it, bought a nice new (to me) car, etc.

i just do not understand the point of save save save if you can't even enjoy yourself. i couldn't fathom living the same way i was fresh out of college with the salary i make now. sure i'd be banking a lot of money, but for what? i'm still saving just fine right now.

The point is that if you want to make serious money, there are generally two routes (of course there are exceptions):

1. Consulting
2. Climb the corporate ladder

Each of these (again, in general) require much more work than the standard 40 hours per week especially if you want to climb higher.

For me personally, I decided several years ago that I was done working long work weeks and stuck to 40 hours. I was kicking ass, getting awesome reviews, etc, but no opportunities opened up for me because I made management look VERY good. In retrospect, maybe I should've made more demands or jumped around more (I've had 3 jobs in the last 17 years) but that entails risk and I'm pretty risk averse. Heck, even coming here (a nationally known place with top tier benefits and perks) was a risk.

At any rate, for me right now, money is not an issue. I travel globally, have a nice house, possessions, and can buy just about anything I want. I could make more (potentially much more), but that isn't what is important to me. What is more important is that I be happy with my job and right now, I'm not. So in the spring, I hope to move on and in the meantime, get some more certs (trying to decide -- PMP or more tech certs?)

 

[zephyrprime]

I've been told by my supervisor that I can make project manager within 3-5 years.. they expect me to stay with the company long term. I'm the youngest guy there by like 6 years.

To be honest I'm working with the best people in the industry.. unbelievable talent. I'd be foolish to jump ship so soon but I think if I work my rear end off for the next year I'll be at a position knowledge wise that few people with my time's worth of experience would be at.

Regardless if my salary prospects at 30 barely break 80k then I think it's time to jump ship to a different industry because 80k at 30 is not that great considering I'm very marketable towards other positions that offer way more

Forget it. You don't want what they have to offer even if it sounds good now. Even if you make project manager in 6 years, which is a big, they will offer you a pay raise that will still put you at the bottom level for project managers because they know how little you currently make. Plus, being a PM is a different career path anyway than being a straight engineer.

You gotta switch jobs. Change positions every 2 years or go into consulting where you renegotiate pay with each new contract. That's the reality of the marketplace.

 

[OverVolt]

Lol.. I put in 60 hrs a week. Money is an issue bc I have 6 figure student loan debt. Comparing to a median number is irrelevant. If I wanted to compare myself to someone making 45k in their 40's I wouldnt have gone to college. I'm in Chicago.

So you're telling me there's no money in power engineering despite the increasing importance of energy?

I really just plan on having very little debt and saving/investing and buying a business when I'm 35-40.

 

[Imp]

Ever consider working for oil&gas procurement? My friend in Vancouver says he's raking it in working for some natural resources company, six figures easy.

I want a gubment job too. DOT/MTA workers are always lounging around whenever I visit their offices. I'm jelly.

Oil and gas is a few provinces west, and I like it where I am. Given that I'm not that money or career hungry, probably not.

I did think about going back to school to be a geologist/prospector/whatever, but so much time in the middle of nowhere...

Gubment is more laid back. Much more laid back. Must be a reason people go in and never leave.

 

[bonkers325]

Oil and gas is a few provinces west, and I like it where I am. Given that I'm not that money or career hungry, probably not.

I did think about going back to school to be a geologist/prospector/whatever, but so much time in the middle of nowhere...

Gubment is more laid back. Much more laid back. Must be a reason people go in and never leave.

When you are firmly established in your gubment job, do I get ATOT-nepotism rights? I want job security without the actual job responsibility...

 

[SeductivePig]

^

And when did this occur, and is the economy the same?

Anyway OPs salary/debt is brutal. Shoulda been a trucker.

I have a second job at the moment and my parents will be helping out.. Im planning to have most if not all of it cleared by 28 or 29.

160k is a lot, but I already live cheap and comfortably so saving 20-30k a year along with 5k a year from parents means I wont have too much trouble. Its unfortunate I have to spend my 20's paying off debt but it is what it is.

 

[Imp]

When you are firmly established in your gubment job, do I get ATOT-nepotism rights? I want job security without the actual job responsibility...

Sure, just give me 10% of your paycheck until you retire.

 

[rcpratt]

Sure, just give me 10% of your paycheck until you retire.

Pretty sure the gubment is already taking at least that much

 

[OverVolt]

ATOT nepotism sounds good to me.